Rifle-grenades



Nov. 10, 1964 B. BATOU- 3,156,187

RIFLE-GRENADES Filed April 8, 1965 United States Patent 3,156,187 RHLE-GRENADES Boris Baton, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Anstalt fur die Entwieklnng von Erfindungen and gewerhlichen Anwendungen Energa, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Fiied Apr. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 271,149 Claims priority, appiication Switzerland, Apr. 16, 1962, 4,667/62 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 102-41) The present invention relates to a rifle-grenade for training purposes. It has already been proposed to construct recoverable training grenades in which at least the front part is made of an elastic material, for example rubber, adapted to resume its initial shape after hitting a resistant target, but these grenades may, in some cases, rebound from the target in the direction of the firer, which is hazardous especially when training is being carried out in close-range firing.

Also, it is desirable that grenades of this type should comprise a marking charge capable of exactly situating the point of impact on the target with a view to enabling the marksman to correct his aim if necessary.

According to the present invention there is provided a rifle-grenade for training purposes which comprises a substantially hollow cap of weak strength, a solid body, a finned tail and a marking charge housed inside the cap, the marking charge being supported over the entire front part of the body in such a manner that, upon impact of the grenade against a target, the marking charge forms a shock-arsorbing cushion protecting the body of the grenade and preventing the grenade from rebounding.

According to a further feature of the invention at least part of the cap may be transparent, thereby enabling the color of the marking charge to be seen. A complete cap is conveniently made of a heat-hardenable or thermoplastic transparent material. It is thus possible to prepare a set of grenades, the respective marking charges of each grenade being of a different color, thereby enabling each hit to be recorded individually during group training.

The cap preferably has at its base an obturator or closure member which is welded or secured to its inner face so that the cap constitutes a complete self-contained unit which does not require a sealed container for the marking charge. Moreover the cap may be detachably secured to the body. It is thus possible for the caps to be transported separately from the remainder of the grenades, which remainder can be used a number of times with fresh caps.

In one form of grenade constructed in accordance with the invention the front part of the body is provided in the region of its maximum diameter with a bearing surface on which a cap can be fitted.

Other advantages and special features of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows. In the accompanying drawing, which is given solely by way of example, there is shown partly broken away a section of a grenade constructed in accordance with the invention.

The grenade comprises a massive recoverable solid body 1 made of a resilient material such as rubber and having a forward and rearward end portions. This body 1 has at its forward end portion a bearing surface 2 on which is fitted and supported a hollow generally cupshaped frangible cap 3, the body has at its rearward end portion a bore forming a substantially cylindrical axial housing in which is fitted a finned tail assembly 4.

The cap 3 is removable from the body and is made of a transparent synthetic material, such as cellulose acetate, polyethylene, or nylon. The cap contains a marking 3,156,187 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 charge 5 and is closed by an obturator or closure member 6 welded or stuck to its inner face. The cap is of generally conical shape and is formed to provide at its open end a cylindrical annular clamping ring 3a which engages with a tight fit on the bearing surface 2 of the body 1. The marking charge 5 may consist of a colored powder, such as talc, powdered chalk, or plaster, or a colored paste or liquid material. The marking charge can be seen through the wall of the cap, so that the color of it can be distinguished.

The finned tail assembly 4 is made of metal and has a solid part 4a and a hollow part 4b. The end of the solid part 4a which penetrates into the axial housing of the body has grooves 7 which are formed, for example, by milling, and which ensure that the tail assembly 4 is firmly held in the axial housing. The hollow part 4b is intended to fit over the sleeve (not shown) of a launching weapon. Fins 8 are detachably fixed to the tail assembly 4 by means of annular springs 9. These fins may be of metal or of some tough plastics material such as nylon. For the purpose of evacuating the air from the axial housing when fitting in the tail assembly 4, at least one groove 10 is formed along the wall of the housing and opens to the outside.

When the grenade has been fired and hits a target the cap 3 is initially deformed, thereby bringing the marking charge into contact with the flat front part of the body 1 on which the cap is supported, after which deformation the cap is crushed. Thus the marking charge forms a shock-absorbing cushion which protects the recoverable body 1, and prevents the grenade from rebounding in the direction of the firer.

To reuse the grenade, it is merely necessary to replace the crushed cap by a new cap. The tail 4 is sufiiciently solid to withstand the shock of impact, although its fins 8, which are more fragile, may sometimes suffer damage. However, the fins 8 can easily be replaced, since it is necessary only to remove the two annular springs 9 to free the fins and secure new fins.

What I claim is:

1. A rifle grenade for training purposes, said grenade comprising in combination a substantially solid body having forward and rearward end portions formed of resilient material such as rubber and the like, said body defining a bore at the rearward end portion, a tail assembly received within said bore, a hollow generally cup-shaped frangible cap having an end thereof connected to the forward end portion of said body, a pulverulent inert marking charge inside said cap, a closure member in said cap adjacent to the end thereof which is connected to said body, said closure member retaining said charge inside of said cap, said solid body having a continuous surface adjacent said closure member, said frangible cap being adapted to break upon impact with an object such that said cap and said pulverulent inert marking charge constitute a shock-absorbing cushion for reducing the kinetic energy of said grenade.

2. A rifle grenade as defined in claim '1 wherein said frangible cap is formed of a transparent material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,246,429 6/41 Brandt 1021 3,085,509 4/63 Brandt 10241 FOREIGN PATENTS 89,898 10/60 Denmark. 1,039,410 9/58 Germany.

SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RIFLE GRENADE FOR TRAINING PURPOSES, SAID GRENADE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A SUBSTANTIALLY SOLID BODY HAVING FORWARD AND REARWARD END PORTIONS FORMED OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SUCH AS RUBBER AND THE LIKE, SAID BODY DEFINING A BORE AT THE REARWARD END PORTION, A TAIL ASSEMBLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID BORE, A HOLLOW GENERALLY CUP-SHAPED FRANGIBLE CAP HAVING AN END THEREOF CONNECTED TO THE FORWARD END PORTION OF SAID BODY, A PULVERULENT INERT MARKING CHARGE INSIDE CAP, A CLOSURE MEMBER IN SAID CAP ADJACENT TO THE END THEREOF WHICH IS CONNECTED TO SAID BODY, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER RETAINING SAID CHARGE INSIDE OF SAID CAP, SAID SOLID BODY HAVING A CONTINUOUS SURFACE ADJACENT SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID FRANGIBLE CAP BEING ADAPTED TO BREAK UPON IMPACT WITH AN OBJECT SUCH THAT SAID CAP AND SAID PULVERULENT INERT MARKING CHARGE CONSTITUTE A SHOCK-ABSORBING CUSHION FOR REDUCING THE KINETIC ENERGY OF SAID GRENADE. 